Mutant/mutation
The mutant lacks expression of PHBL and expresses mCherry under the control of the constitutive hsp70 promoter

Protein (function)
Proteins of the stomatin/prohibitin/flotillin/HfIK/C (SPFH) family are membrane-anchored and perform diverse cellular functions in different organelles. A systematic database search for Plasmodium SPFH proteins  uncovered four candidates that either display a close phylogenetic relationship to conserved members—prohibitin 1 (PHB1, PBANKA_0701500), prohibitin 2 (PHB2, PBANKA_1213100), and stomatin-like protein (STOML, PBANKA_0807100)- 0807100)—or fall into a unique sister group that contains related proteins from the phylum Myzozoa, which harbors the subphylum Apicomplexa. Accordingly,  the latter Plasmodium protein was named prohibitin-like protein (PHBL, PBANKA_0718600). All four proteins contain a central signature SPFH domain and a hydrophobic stretch Although the conventional Plasmodium SPFH proteins display a similarly high degree of conservation, PHBL sequences are rather divergent already among related Plasmodium species.

Phenotype
Reduced ookinete formation in vitro. No ookinetes could be detected in vivo (in midguts of A stephensi).

Additional information
Evidence is presented that:
- Mitochondrial Organization of PHBL-Deficient Parasites Remains Unaltered
- PHBL Regulates Mitochondrial Membrane Potential during Sexual Development


Other mutants